A blog about everything we do at Text100 India!

Author: JoshyMathews

Have you been in a situation where you realised that you were mentally forming answers to someone’s questions even before they had completed the question? And then found that your response was way off the mark.

One of the discussions that lingered in my mind during the Leadership Offsite was the importance of active listening. I believe the first step to becoming an effective leader is hearing out people. Many of us are in a hurry either to prove a point, display our intelligence or simply impatient or worse, we like to hear own voices. Better listening skills do help us to be better at our jobs and in our personal relationships. A better listener is more likely to have the ability to motivate, influence and negotiate and is rarely misunderstood – skills that are definite aces in today’s workplace.

And why should we listen

deeper understanding

better preparedness while responding

building a connect with the person

Here are a few tips on active listening.

Focus on the person – Do not let yourself be distracted and do not start forming your responses

Clarify – Summarise a point or clarify intermittently. Show the person that you are with him

Reply – Pause, gather your thoughts and respond clearly

This is a skill and with most of us it does not come easily and therefore learning to listen actively requires conscious effort and will. Try it and you will see people accepting you as a responsive and concerned leader.

"Listen" your way Up the corporate ladder !

The ear of the leader must ring with the voices of the people ~ Woodrow Wilson